


The Puppy Love Bet

by Slytherin_Sweetheart



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Alternate Universe, Anorexia, Another Wolfstar fic, Coming of Age, Eating Disorders, Everyone Is Alive, Everyone Is Gay, F/F, F/M, Gay Sirius Black, James is a Dork, LGBTQ Character, M/M, Marauders, No Voldemort, No Wizarding War, Puppy Love, Silent pining, Sirius Black & James Potter Friendship, Snuffles - Freeform, dumb bet, in which Remus is older, modern marauders, wolfstar
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-06-03
Updated: 2019-06-24
Packaged: 2020-04-07 07:56:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,695
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19080766
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Slytherin_Sweetheart/pseuds/Slytherin_Sweetheart
Summary: Sirius has had a crush on Remus John Lupin ever since fifth year. Sirius wished he could approach him, and so begins the plotting. Sirius makes a high-stakes bet with James, a bet that will forever change their lives. Will Sirius pad his way into Remus’ heart? Will Marlene admit she has the hots for Sirius’ loud best friend Dorcas? Will Alice and Frank stop pining silently? Will Lily realize that what she needs might be right under her nose? And will someone give James a cold shower?!





	1. The Bet Is On

“So let me get this straight,” said James with a cheeky grin, although Sirius was not amused by his oh-so-brilliant pun, “your plan is to use your animagi form, for me to ask one of the hottest Slytherins to ever walk the halls of Hogwarts to walk you?” 

“Well when you say it like that, it does sound stupid.” Said Sirius downing the rest of his firewisky, “but think about it, everyone trusts dogs! I’ve seen him around your neighbourhood, when he walks the dogs, he talks to them!” Sirius obviously felt strongly about it and James, being his best friend just had to taunt him about it.

“Sirius, Remus Lupin is two years older than us, he was a perfect student at Hogwarts and now he writes books about werewolves that are included in the Hogwarts curriculum! He’s very,” he hiccuped, “attractive!” 

“Don’t I know it!” Sobbed Sirius into his hands, “I’ve had the biggest crush on that bloke ever since fifth year, and he never even noticed me, this plan has to work!” He stood up in his stool, the bartender was giving him looks and James, who was just as drunk as Sirius nodded apologetically towards the bartender before imitating his best friend. Once up on his stool, he took Sirius’ hand and Sirius said: “Let’s make a bet! If this plan leads to me and Remus getting together, you have to ask Lily Evans out, no excuses!” 

James paled just thinking about the possibility of having to talk to the fierce redhead that had caught his eye back in school. “BUT!” He yelled, “If you and Remus don’t end up a couple, you will have to give me your motorcycle!” 

“But you don’t even ride!”

“Ok the bet is on!” Yelled James before apparating back to their loft. He threw himself on their sofa, and reached to pat Sirius who usually ended up next to him on the sofa, when he realized he had abandoned his best friend back at the pub. “Oh well,” he whispered as sleep waved over him, “ he’ll find his way back.”

But as Sirius stared into space, right where his best friend had been not a second ago, he felt nauseous. He looks down and spoke out loud “why am I so tall?” Before realizing he was still on the stool, as he got off, he fell onto a tall guy, who caught his forearms to provide support.  
“Hello lad,” he said offering a tipsy smile. 

Sirius was in shock, he took in the guy’s features, from his sandy hair to his scars, he felt his strong hands supporting his arms. He was much more handsome up close. “You’re so pretty,” said Sirius before passing out right in Remus’ arms.

“Is there a way we could go out without guys throwing themselves at you?” Asked Marlene smiling teasingly at her best friend.

“You’re insufferable,” said Remus rolling his eyes, but he was concerned for the guy in his arms. “What should we do Marls?”

Marlene smiled devilishly, she loved Remus dearly, but he hadn’t been in a relationship with a guy since he had left Hogwarts and she needed him to find a boyfriend because Merlin, he had been getting on her nerves lately.

“You should probably take him to our apartment, I’ll get home after a few drinks.” She said eyeing a stunning dark haired girl who was talking and gesturing dramatically next to a redheaded beauty.

Remus’s gaze kept flickering between her best friend and the handsome lad in his arms.  
“Are you—“

“Yes I’m sure Remus for Merlin’s sake!” She said before giving him a side hug.

Remus apparated back to his and Marlene’s flat, he carried Sirius to the sofa and dropped him as softly as possible. 

Sirius unconsciously reached to pat James’ leg which was always near his head only to touch skin. He laughed. Remus was flustered as this stranger had touched his hand, and the guy didn’t seem to remove his hand but was laughing uncontrollably.

“James, I know you need some action but we’ve been over this, you’re not gay!” He slurred opening his eyes. He did a double take as he noticed the man of his dreams hovering over him, he couldn’t believe his eyes.

“Is this a dream?” He asked, the effects of alcohol had not worn out and out of the blue, slapped Remus.

“You’re supposed to ask me to pinch you, not slap me!” Said Remus holding his cheek, completely shocked about Sirius slapping him.

Sirius was stunned, was he really inches away from the boy he had been in love with since fifth year? Had he just slapped one of the most handsome Slytherins to have graced the face of the earth? Now how was he supposed to get him to fall in love with him. All these thoughts swirled into his mind as he felt darkness engulf him.

“What just happened?” Thought Remus as he threw a cover over the drunk idiot lying on his sofa.

“So pretty” whispered Sirius in his sleep, and Remus’ face grew red thinking the stranger had been talking about him.

The next morning was awkward to say the least, Sirius had not recognized the place he was currently in. Thinking he had been kidnapped, when a hand on his shoulder startled him, he slapped the person behind him.

“Really!?” Yelled Remus. 

Sirius had little to no memory about last night. 

Remus sat Sirius down in his kitchen and gave him a glass of water, a potion to counter a hangover, a cup of coffee and a bowl of cereal. To break the awkward silence, Sirius tried to start up a conversation.

“So did we sleep together?” He blurted out, mentally slapping himself.

Remus spit out his coffee. He said he only brought him to his flat to help him, nothing had happened between them.

“Well,” said Remus scratching his chin, “you did slap me. Twice.”

“Want me to kiss it better?” Sirius couldn’t help himself from answering.

They gawked at each other. And before making more of a fool of himself, Sirius apparated back to his flat, only to find James still sleeping on the sofa.

“James!” He yelled in his friend’s ear, “we have to do this! Let me be your pet! I’m in love!” 

James stirred slowly.

“The bet is on mate!” He said offering a goofy smile before throwing up on Sirius.


	2. Meeting Snuffles

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter deals with eating disorders, please don’t read if this makes you uncomfortable or is a trigger.

“Hi I’m Remus Lupin, you called about needing me to walk you dog.” Remus looked at the man that had opened the door, he was hot and he probably noticed that Remus was staring because he cleared his throat and rearranged his glasses.

“Yeah mate, I’m James,” he said as Remus and him shook hands. This guy had a firm handshake. James was sure he had seen him on the Slytherin Quidditch team a few years back. 

“So,” said James before letting Remus into his and Sirius’ messy apartment, “you can sit on the couch, let me just go get Ss- Snuffles!” He caught himself before calling his “dog” Sirius. 

As James left, Remus started observing the mess he was surrounded in, the empty beer bottles in a box besides the couch, the opened cigarette pack on the table next to a pile of dusty records. Remus liked listening to music on his phone but he had always liked vinyl discs, the feeling of the soft disc he had picked up, brought a smile to his face. He put back the record and started looking through the pile of music in front of him. It was a satisfying distraction from the tragically disorganized apartment. 

“Here is Snuffles, he loves his walks but I am just so busy,” said James before entering the living room. Behind him was a majestic dog padding his way towards where Remus was seated, his paws scraping the wooden floors. Sirius disguised as Snuffles nudged Remus’ hands, asking that he drop the records and pay attention to him.

“Well, hello there Snuffles. Are you ready for today’s walk?” Remus was parting Snuffles’ fur behind his ears. Snuffles tilted his head, and licked Remus’ hand. “This is it,” thought Sirius, “I’m really doing this.” When they heard a phone camera sound, both Remus and Snuffles turned to James who had just taken a picture of the two.

“Oh don’t mind me, you guys are just adorable!” He laughed at Snuffles, delighted to further humiliate his best friend.

Remus and Snuffles were ushered out of the apartment and Remus started heading to the park. 

“Well Snuffles, I hope you’ve had a better week than mine,” started Remus whilst Snuffles tilted his head. “Oh do tell me everything,” he thought as he leaned sat right in front of Remus.

Meanwhile, Marlene was only waking up next to Stella. It was well past noon, and when her stomach rumbled, Marlene sat up. Stella reached for her hand. “Morning Marls, are you really hungry?” She looked at Marlene’s body disapprovingly, “if you’re going to keep eating make sure to actually exercise yeah?” 

“Last night was decent, but you’re still a bitch so I’m going. Don’t call me,” Marlene hopped out of Stella’s bed, throwing on the dress she’d worn the previous night and slipping into her flats. 

“Come on Marls, don’t get all sentimental on me! You know I’m right!” Yelled Stella, still lying down in her bed.

“Still a bitch,” thought bitterly Marlene as she slammed her friend’s door. She walked from Stella’s building to hers and Remus’, a path she’d taken more times than she’d care to admit. Once back into her apartment, she hoped in the shower. At last clean and changed, she headed to the kitchen. As she started cooking, the front door opened.

“Hi Marls! You’ll never guessed what happened today,” Remus hugged her and kissed her cheek. 

“You’re chirpy today, you finally asked that guy out?”

“Guy? What guy?” Asked Remus scratching his neck and blushing slightly.

“The guy who works at that library you always sneak around of, you’ve only mentioned him for, you know,” she pretended to need a moment to think, “was it three years?” 

“He’s only been working there for about a year and a half,” he said looking up to his friend’s single raised brow. “I walked right into that one!”

“So what was this amazing thing that happened today if not getting it on with library boy?” Marlene asked, discreetly splitting the pasta she’d cooked so Remus would get half of what should have been her plate.  
“You remember James Potter right? A Ravenclaw, a year or two below ours? Fleamont Potter’s son, we met him at one of the ministry Christmas parties I think.”

“It rings a bell, why?”

“Well he asked me to walk his dog, Snuffles, and that dog is the most intriguing one I’ve walked yet! When we sat at the park, he sat next to my feet, facing me and was listening to what I was saying.”

“Remus, I’m glad you’ve found a cool dog. His name is really Snuffles?” Remus nodded. 

“That’s an adorable name for a puppy, you have a picture?” Remus handed her his phone, he and James had exchanged numbers and James had sent him the picture he had taken that morning.

“That’s not a puppy, it’s a huge scary fully-grown adult dog that could bite a finger of yours off!” Marlene said, before looking more closely at the picture. The apartment looked familiar to her, which was a bit strange. She handed Remus’ phone back to him. She took out wrapping paper to put the rest of her pasta in the fridge, but Remus gently took the wrapping paper from her.

“You’ve barely taken three bites Marlene, please sit down with me.” He handed her back her fork and she gave him a look that he shrugged off. “What happened today? You’ve been doing pretty well the past weeks, didn’t you tell me you’d kept the eating schedule we made on our last appointment with the shrink?” Marlene shuddered at the mention of the psychologist she had been seeing for the past two years.

Once she’d moved with Remus, he had instantly picked up on her unhealthy eating habits and told her of a muggle doctor that could treat such an illness. Remus has to make sure she ate three meals a day. Of course Marlene had been too proud at first to talk to a muggle doctor about her problems, but on the day she’d fainted in the middle of an important meeting at the ministry, she finally decided to open up.

Remus knew his friend was anorexic before she did. It pained him to see her hurting herself. “Marlene? What happened?”

“I slept with Stella again,” she said looking down at her plate, raising her fork again to attempt to eat the noodles that seemed to be mocking her.

“Marls, I thought you’d decided to give up on her. She’s kind of a horrible person to you,” he said, and Marlene took his hand.

“She’s a decent fu-“ she started before Remus pointed the swear jar.

“Fuck!” She said, immediately covering her mouth and looking at her friend whose smile was full of triumph. 

“I walked right into that one!” She laughed and threw a pound in the jar. Remus has always been there to annoy her into being a better person, and it was nice to know that he cared


	3. And . . .

“Dorcas!” Said Lily for the third time. They’d gone to their usual cafe, which was just in front of the library where Sirius had taken a job in. Lily has been struggling to get her friend’s attention.

“What Evans?” Dorcas stopped staring at what happened to be the most annoying couple she had ever seen, and turned to face her annoyed red-headed ‘friend’. 

“Well for starters, I feel like you’re miles away! What are even staring—,” but as Lily peeked behind her to look, her gaze met an attractive blonde’s. The blonde was with a man Lily recognized, but couldn’t pinpoint exactly, the blonde gave her a wink. Lily faced her friend, who’s gaze was glued to the blonde’s and whose smile irked Lily.

“Dorcas! Focus, this is an emergency meeting!”

“Lily, you need to get laid, and as much as you don’t want to believe it, you’re not responsible for Alice and Frank’s whereabouts. They left Sirius’ and James’ place together and I never went back to my place, I’m sure they just went for it.”

“Went for it?” Laughed Lily, unsure about what bothered her about Dorcas’ answer. “Did you even check your place before coming here? Frank and Alice have been tiptoeing around each other for years! You think Frank wouldn’t tell me if he were to ‘go for it’ with Alice? And you’re clearly more interested about a hot blonde than about finding out what happened to our friends!” Lily stood up, and started walking away.

She turned around, grabbed her half-eaten muffin and looked at Dorcas. “I know you care, I’m sorry I snapped at you. But I’m worried, I can’t help it. So if you don’t mind I’m going to try and find them. Also I’m doing just fine as a single lady, it’s liberating really.” Dorcas nodded sympathetically and hugged Lily, before taking her seat again and finish eating her breakfast as pleasantly as her hangover allowed it to be.

After Lily left, the blonde girl who had caught her eye waved her over. Dorcas waved, but stood up to go in the library instead. She had to talk to her best friend.

Sirius was hiding in the fiction aisle, he had been up late the night before, and his eyes were heavy with sleep. When Dorcas approached him with her solo cup, he thought she’d brought him coffee, but as soon as he took a sip of the coffee, he regretted snatching the cup out of her hands. 

“You put too much sugar in your coffee,” he said, taking a second sip nonetheless.

“It’s not for you, so if you could just give it back that would be great,” she answered bitterly.

“How did your ‘emergency meeting’ with Lily go? Wait I’m guessing it didn’t go well, because you’re here, about to tell me that if Alice wasn’t friends with Lily, you wouldn’t even talk to her. Or her dorky friend Frank. You might also complain that Lily is a control freak who needs to get laid, and that she’s the one pushing Alice and Frank together. If it were up to you, you’d set up Alice with one of the guys you work with at the pub, because they’re all ‘so much better looking that Frank’. Tell me, did I miss anything?” 

“No,” sighed Dorcas, “am I so predictable?” Sirius laughed.

“Dodo, you just give me the same monologue every week. Either give Lily a chance or don’t, but don’t fake your friendship, that kind of lie tends to blow up in your face.” He took one last sip of the overly sugary coffee, and handed it back to Dorcas.

“I just saw a cute girl, if I weren’t so hangover, I would ask for her number but I might make a fool of myself if I do if now.” Sirius hugged her and gave her a peck on the cheek.

“If she lives around here, you might have another chance to do so,” they shared a smile, unaware that they were being watched.

Lily was not having any luck with her search, she’d used the spare key Alice had given her to hers and Dorcas’ apartment to check if Frank and Alice were there. Nothing. Alice’s bed hadn’t been slept in, and so Lily went to the last place they were seen at, James’ and Sirius’ apartment.

Lily liked Sirius, he was honest with her and he had actually used words in full sentences to address her, much unlike James. Alice had been James’ friend since their first year at Hogwarts, and Lily knew they were dear friends still, but James Potter was insufferable. Lily knocked on the door, knowing that Sirius would be at work, and that she might have to decipher once more Potter’s gibberish. She heard a few crashes, and finally James Potter opened the door. Wearing only a towel.

“You’re not my mum are you?” He said, mentally cursing himself. Of course Lily Evans has to barge in right as he was coming out of the shower, on the day his mom was meant to drop by to have tea. Usually, he was embarrassed around her, but this time around, Lily seemed to be nervous. Her cheeks were red, and she was avoiding his gaze. The tables had turned.

“Come on in Evans,” he stepped aside so she could enter the apartment. 

They stood awkwardly facing each other, until James took her arm and led her to the kitchen. Lily sat down, James offered her tea, and she accepted. Suddenly Lily was the one struggling to find her words, and the sight of James Potter in his domestic form made her forget about what she was looking for in the first place. James made the tea, and started making small talk, he sat down and faced Evans. An owl dropped a letter in his lap and as he read his mom’s apology for not being able to make it to tea time, he smiled.

“James? Can I ask you something?”

“Yes Evans?”

“Do you think I’m uptight? That I’m too serious?” She whispered.

“You can’t be Sirius, you’re Lily,” they shared a smile. “I think that you’re smart, and careful, and... lovely,” he added as she approached him. 

“Who are you? And what have you done with James Potter?” She gave him an earnest smile. James and Lily has tea, they spoke, they shared laughs and secrets and . . . 

Meanwhile, Marlene was sat down next to Remus, they hadn’t spoken for what seemed like an eternity.

“Remus, you don’t know it the girl he kissed is even his girlfriend. They have the same black hair, similar features, they’re probably cousins or something,” said Marlene patting her best friend’s arm.

“This is what happens when I have a crush on someone, and don’t do anything about it. Marlene, I was such an idiot to pine after a guy who might not even be gay. And the guy from the library seemed so familiar today, like I’d seen him before.” Remus was trying to find an explanation as to why the raven haired guy seemed so, so familiar.

“Wait!” He turned to Marlene, completely awe struck. “He’s the lad from the bar!” 

“The one who crashed on the couch? Who said you were so, so pretty?” Marlene was giddy with excitement. 

“He’s James’ roommate, if I remember correctly,” Remus dropped his head on his hands.

“What’s wrong Remus? You finally know who the guy from the library is! This is good!” She was smiling and leaning over towards him.

“Marlene, I just found out that even if the lad is gay, James might be too. And they were roommates! Of course! They’re together,” he sighed thinking back to the night the guy he had a crush on had fallen in his arms.

Later that evening, when Remus knocked on James’ and Sirius’ door, he found Snuffles waiting behind the door, and he heard James laughing, followed by moans. Remus took Snuffles and ran.

Once sat in their usual spot at the dog park, Remus finally shed a few tears, which made Snuffles sit next to him, and lick his cheek.

“Oh Snuffles,” said Remus as he combed through the dog’s fur, “the good news is that the lad I’ve had a crush on, you remember, the one who works at the library?” Snuffles nodded. “Well he is gay, I think, but the bad news is that he’s taken.” Remus sighed, and Snuffles dropped his head on Remus’ lap.

“Well,” thought Sirius, completely oblivious that he was the lad Remus had been speaking about, “now that I know his crush is taken, I can make my move.”

**Author's Note:**

> For the purpose of the story, the marauders are sorted into different houses:
> 
> Sirius and Dorcas were sorted into Gryffindor, James and Alice into Ravenclaw, Frank and Lily into Hufflepuff, Remus and Marlene are sorted into Slytherin and are two years older than the rest of the gang. I might not include Peter and Mary in this story, because I don’t know what to do with them yet. Sirius and James have a flat. Dorcas and Alice share an apartment, so do Lily and Frank, and Marlene and Remus.


End file.
